This invention relates to articles useful in assisting a person with walking and climbing vertical rises. Ordinary canes require a person to lift the cane, move it forward, plant the cane, take a step to reach the cane and repeat the process. For those people who are unsteady on their feet, the period of time that the cane is aloft may cause strain on the joints and limbs and a loss of balance and possibly an injury or fall. A cane is, therefore, needed that can remain in contact with the ground at all time while a person is walking. There is also the need for such a cane to be equipped with a brake to prevent the cane from drifting during use.
Many people have difficulty climbing steep or vertical rises (e.g., steps, curbs, into automobiles). In the case of stairs, this difficulty is often due to the high riser on many standard and non-standard stairs. A device is needed that will enable those people to climb vertical rises reducing the height that they are required to lift their leg to climb the rise.